Functions of the Universities

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 580.

Unit IV

The functions of the university are many. The primary purpose is to give young people an education designed to develop their intellectual capacities, that is the ability to judge evidence critically, to develop independence of mind, the ability to communicate, curiosity and reasoning power. The universities have to teach how to acquire, increase and employ knowledge.

Universities train for the professions and teach special skills. They turn out teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, chemists, economists. But the majority of their graduates are not trained for special jobs, the education is not narrowly vocational. As knowledge grows and techniques change, they can adapt themselves and keep up-to-date.

The nation needs certain numbers of dentists and architects, lawyers and engineers, so the universities must educate people in a variety of subjects in order to meet the needs of the nation. Their main duty is to prepare well-educated people who can construct the future and adapt to it, they will have the heaviest responsibility for creating the future. To meet these needs the university divides its curriculum into two parts: the first three years are devoted to basic education and the last two years are intended for specific research work end the preparation of a diploma paper in the

Today, the main need among universities is learning power which is native ability plus the will to learn. A great teacher may inspire an individual student and set him on road to education. But if a student lacks a solid academic foundation on which to build, the quality of university education will suffer.

Ex.1 Find the answers in the text:

1.What is the primary purpose of higher education?

2.Give your reasons why the education is not narrowly vocational.

3. What is the main need among universities nowadays?

Ex.2 Work in pairs:

1. Share the ideas about the advantages of getting higher education.

2. Why have you chosen this higher educational establishment?